Coast dad accused of molesting teen says it was a 'joke'

A 51-YEAR-old Sunshine Coast father accused of molesting his daughter's friend told a jury he was simply "massaging" the teen back to sobriety.

Yesterday was the second day of the man's trial in the Maroochydore District Court where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent treatment of a child under the age of 16.

A jury of 10 women and two men watched the pre-recorded interview the accused man - who can't be named to protect his victim's identity - had with police just days after the alleged offending.

The man admitted to rubbing the girl's face, head, arms, shoulders and neck but denied allegations he groped her breasts, licked her belly button, slipped his hands down the back of her pants and rubbed her thighs and groin above her clothes.

He also admitted to slapping the 15-year-old on the bottom, which he told police was a "silly little joke".

The court was told the alleged offending occurred at the man's home while his wife was asleep.

Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said the man picked up his daughter and her friend, both aged 15 at the time, from a birthday party in Kawana in July 2016, and took them back to his home.

A third friend of his daughter's joined them, and the teens began drinking vodka and liqueur from the cupboard.

The court heard the man and his wife had friends over and were drinking too however, the adults left around 10pm and his wife went to bed shortly after.

The teens continued to drink and dance, the court heard.

When the party began to wind down, the court heard the man gave his daughter and her two friends foot and head massages to settle them down.

The court was told the man often gave his daughter, a dancer, massages to alleviate stress in her feet.

He told police he did not consider it strange to give her friends, who he also considered daughters, massages.

Prior to working as an electrician, the man worked in massage therapy for about four years. From this he obtained several qualifications and diplomas in the field.

Mr Stark said after the massages, the man suggested the girl sleep in his son's bedroom - who was away at the time - instead of in his daughter's room with the other girls.

The court heard there was no room to drag another mattress onto the floors as the room was undergoing renovations with scattered debris on the floor. He brought the teen a glass of water to the room and began to massage her shoulders and face.

The man told the jury he did this to "bring colour back into the girl's face" who did not look well.

He said he asked the teen if she wanted him to stop and she said no, because it was making her feel better.

But the teen told police this was when "it turned sexual". The alleged offending ended when the teen turned her back to the man. He slapped her bottom and left the room, the court heard.

The teen left the house early the next day and called the daughter of the accused, and told her what happened.

The man told the jury he was confronted by his "pale-faced" daughter around midday about the allegations. He asked his daughter for the teen's number so he could ask her why she was "saying those things" to his daughter.

The court was told the man and the teen had two phone calls and a conversation over text, before it was reported to police.